


Bundled Up

by hibiren



Series: Jay's Faeverse AU Collection [13]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fae, Conversations, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Fae & Fairies, Faerie!Ignis, Fantasy, Fluff, M/M, Napping, Rain, Rainbows, Sweaters, taking my own liberties with fae lore lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-22 13:16:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22616761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hibiren/pseuds/hibiren
Summary: Ignis is caught in the rain and Gladio lets him inside the cottage to warm him up as they wait for the storm to pass. Gladio learns a little bit more about fae while they talk to pass the time.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Series: Jay's Faeverse AU Collection [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1426801
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	Bundled Up

**Author's Note:**

> ah! It was Ignis' birthday yesterday (and it's mine today!!) and my friends in the fae server had the cutest thought that I just had to write about. We were talking about Ignis and 'Figgy Hatching Day' came about, and this is my contribution to the cuteness! Happy (Late) Figgy Hatching Day, everyone! Eat some lemon candies in his honor~ lol

A horribly rainy day left Gladio housebound and staring forlornly out his bedroom window at the dull, dreary, deep gray expanse of sky that never seemed to end. He had a mug of coffee in his hands, lukewarm from his inattentiveness, as a single thought crossed his mind over and over again:

_I hope Iggy’s alright._

He knew Ignis had his duties to fulfill, but rain made them more difficult. Would Ignis ever take a day off? Maybe a little bit of time off, but likely not by choice. As Ignis had said a long time ago, he couldn’t really control the weather - just the plants.

But sure enough, through the steady drumming of rain against the window came a gentle tapping. Gladio immediately put his mug down on his side table when he realized it was Ignis, and stepped over to the window to open it and let the shivering fae inside. Ignis’ lips were pale, almost blue, but other than that he was all in one piece save for his soaked body and somewhat shriveled-looking wings.

Too worried to leave Ignis alone to go grab a towel, Gladio pulled his sweater off and gently bundled Ignis in it, hoping the warmth of it would help him dry off faster.

“Thank you,” Ignis managed through the chattering in his teeth, “I hope I’m not intruding on your rainy day…”

“Oh Iggy, of course you’re not,” Gladio hummed, “I was just thinking about you. Are you alright?”

“Just a bit wet, I’ll live,” the fae answered, adjusting himself as Gladio set him down on the bed and sat down next to his bundled-up shirt. “I’d known it was going to rain today, but not quite this badly. I was lucky to make it here in time! As you know, it’s very difficult for fae to fly in rain.”

“Yeah. Your wings okay?” asked Gladio, glancing with worry at Ignis’ back. Ignis only smiled at him as he un-bundled himself from the sweater and ruffled out his wings, scattering water droplets like dew against the bed. They fluttered experimentally a few times before resuming their usual vibrance.

“I believe so. If I had stayed out any longer, that might not have been the case.”

When Ignis shivered again, Gladio picked up the sweater with Ignis in his arms and carried him off toward the kitchen. He half-expected to see Iris there, but after a quick glance down the hall he saw her bedroom door was closed. Sometimes the rain got to her so quickly she just tended to sleep the day away - which was almost where Gladio had been heading himself before Ignis appeared at his window.

“Want some tea? Cider? I think we still have some milk left, if you’d like some warm milk or hot chocolate...”

“Cider sounds lovely, thank you.”

Ignis had insisted on helping, but Gladio just wrapped the sweater more around the fae until he was effectively swaddled in it, but comfortably so. He deposited the bundle on the couch just a few feet away while he finished up in the kitchen.

“If you want, after this is done warming up, I could put your clothes in the dryer, help them warm up a bit faster,” Gladio suggested.

Ignis paused for a moment, but shook his head. “Thank you, but this sweater is helping more than enough. I at least came as prepared as I could manage - this particular fabric I’m wearing tends to absorb water very quickly, but only in warm temperatures.”

Once the cider was heated up, Gladio poured some into a mug for himself, and into one of his small espresso cups for Ignis. It was almost the perfect size, almost. It was still awkward for him to hold and a bit too heavy, but at least he didn’t have to expend too much of his energy shrinking it to a manageable holding size before taking a long sip.

“You know, Gladiolus, as dreary as days like this are, oftentimes it can be the best for us fae. Tomorrow, when the rain subsides, when the sky is a cloudless blue, if you see a rainbow, you’ll know something very special is happening.”

“Like, um… a pot of gold appears?”

Ignis chuckled, despite a gleam of distant sorrow in his eyes. “Not quite. That’s just housefae rumors, of course, I’m surprised they’ve become such common knowledge. If one ever needed to get a human out of a house, a mysteriously appearing pot of gold at an ever-extending point miles away seemed to be the perfect answer.”

“House… fae?”

“Another story for another time, love,” Ignis said quickly, shaking his head.

“So… what really happens, then? When we see a rainbow?”

After another long drink, Ignis delicately wiped his mouth on his slightly-damp sleeve before answering. “If we’re lucky, a fae is born.”

“Oh! So… is that how you were born?”

“It is how I arrived here, yes. For an earth fae to be granted a physical form in this space where the humans walk, the end - or ends, sometimes - of a rainbow must touch a newfallen seedling. The seed will grow and change, and depending on the strength of the light, a fae will ‘hatch,’ so to speak, from the seed. Granted, this is very different from mandrake sproutings. Mandrakes hatch in the dark. Coincidentally, nightfae do as well, only they don’t scream upon unearthing themselves.”

Gladio laughed as Ignis finished off his cider but held onto the cup, warming his hands. He seemed to have recovered well from the cold, and looked almost back to his usual self.

“I wish… humans came about in more interesting ways, but, uh… it’s not that pretty. Or magical. Humans must be boring compared to everything you’ve seen.”

“Oh, far from it! You’d be surprised how entertaining human behavior can be to fae. Especially when it comes to trinkets, games, songs, and food in particular. I’d just not had too much experience living with humans until rather recently in my life.”

For a moment, Ignis struggled to unwrap himself from the sweater so he could set the empty cup down on the couch. Gladio moved in to help, but by that time Ignis had freed himself and had hovered over to rest on Gladio’s chest, in his usual and favorite place just over Gladio’s heart.

“You’re my favorite human, you know. There’s absolutely no other human on this planet I’ve ever loved more than you.”

“Love you, too. You’re my favorite, too, you know, Iggy.”

“Oh, I do. I know that very, very well.”

With that, Ignis closed his eyes and curled up to rest, and Gladio draped his sweater over his chest to help keep Ignis warm while he slept. For a moment, Gladio entertained the thought of taking a nap, but he found himself staying awake to enjoy the peace between them and the gently, slowly fading sounds of rain on the roof. If they were lucky, the sun would appear before the end of the day. If they were luckier, a rainbow.


End file.
